Invite/RSVP timing

megkbush

When is everyone sending out their invitations? Normal 6-8 weeks in advance or earlier? I sent STDs in March. I planned on sending out the invitations the first week of September (around the 6th) with a RSVP date by October 12th for my November 12th wedding. Does this sound reasonable?

vegasgroom

We did STD's very early to ensure guests could book flights when they're cheapest; we sent those about ten months in advance.  We sent invites at six months with a long 10 week rsvp date so everyone who didn't book would have plenty of time to price shop, etc. if they needed to before deciding if they were coming.

jenjenaz

Don't post this on the Etiquette board b/c they will tell you that, NO MATTER WHAT, you don't send out more than 8 weeks in advance.

We sent ours out about 3 months ahead of time (13 weeks - ish), because we will have only had about a 4.5 month timeframe between getting the venue locked down and the actual ceremony date.  We didn't send STDs due to the time crunch.

If you sent STDs, I think the 6-8 weeks is fine....

kara811

IMO, you should send them out earlier than that. Mail can be so slow sometimes by the time some people get the invites, the time they have to decide will be shortened. Our RSVP was also a month before the date, but we sent out invites closer to 2 months before the due date. 

ETA: We sent out our STDs 7 months before the wedding. Our final headcount was due 30 days before.

smokeybailey

I sent STDs out 6 months in advance and just got my invites out last week with an RSVP date of 07/20.  I have a due date to the vendor of final counts on 07/26.  Wedding date is 08/27.

I didn't think that our list would need that long to book.  With the SWA and Jet Blue sales last week, it appears that approximately 60 days out was the sweet spot for airfare.

poisonivy1121

With our October wedding, we sent our STDs out in March and invitation out this week.  It was important for us to get them out early so we can figure out our guest count.  We asked people to RSVP by 8/1. I think a lot of this has to do with knowing your guestlist, too.  Some of our guests wanted hotel info in April.

direy25

We sent our STD's out at 8 months, I think we sent out invitations at 11 or 12 weeks and the RSVP date was 4 weeks prior.  I wish I would have made the RSVP date a little later because we still had to call people we hadn't heard from. 

LilMissScareAll

I sent STDs out April 6th. I plan on mailing the invites out w/i the first 2 weeks of August (8-10 weeks before the wedding) RSVP date is Sept 19 (the Monday, 4 weeks prior)
Final head count is due 10 days prior. Wedding is October 14.

FWIW: about half my guests that need to fly have already booked their flights. Between all the airline sales going on lately, everyone was grabbing cheap flights while they could.

Natrasha

I am sending mine either Saturday or Tuesday, so about 3 months before. I've had people asking where their invitations are! My RSVP date is September 1st, so one month before the wedding.

vegasgroom

We, and a bunch of my friends that booked way early when they got our save the date ten months in advance, paid about $200 round trip on southwest from Florida; most of the guests that waited for sales, etc. in the four to two months left range paid $320 to $370 round trip.  Those that waited until less than 60 days were over $420.  I was watching prices constantly to update our website with them to hopefully encourage people to book sooner rather than later lol.  Of course there was a two week period where prices on Southwest went real low after that plane had a hole open up in it mid-flight....

megkbush

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_invitersvp-timing?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:91Discussion:b2d30e66-edde-40d1-bc08-2f53f469da1ePost:d36bedd3-026a-4a7e-b6ed-9210f4b92223">Re: Invite/RSVP timing</a>:
[QUOTE]We, and a bunch of my friends that booked way early when they got our save the date ten months in advance, paid about $200 round trip on southwest from Florida; most of the guests that waited for sales, etc. in the four to two months left range paid $320 to $370 round trip.  Those that waited until less than 60 days were over $420.  I was watching prices constantly to update our website with them to hopefully encourage people to book sooner rather than later lol.  Of course there was a two week period where prices on Southwest went real low after that plane had a hole open up in it mid-flight....
Posted by vegasgroom[/QUOTE]

SW took forever to put their flights up for November. When they finally put them up, they weren't so cheap, so I waited. Last week, they did that $120 each way sale, so we bought them at that price and e-mailed everyone we knew about it. I know some guests were talking about waiting until 60 days out. If they think they're going to get better than $240RT from Florida to Vegas... more power to them.

megkbush

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_invitersvp-timing?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:91Discussion:b2d30e66-edde-40d1-bc08-2f53f469da1ePost:ec9f33aa-5bdf-409a-b1bd-239d5f59f45a">Re: Invite/RSVP timing</a>:
[QUOTE]Don't post this on the Etiquette board b/c they will tell you that, NO MATTER WHAT, you don't send out more than 8 weeks in advance.
Posted by jenjenaz[/QUOTE]

Haha- I wouldn't dare.

I sent STDs and the invited guests are all very close family and friends, so I know everyone is at least aware they need to book flights and hotels as soon as they find a deal that works in their budget. After reading this, I might go ahead and send them just a few weeks earlier. The florist wants the final count a month before, so that would give me some extra time to track down the people who did not rsvp yet. Thanks everyone!

nycheryl

I have FI's family and friends coming from The Great White North, so I might err on the side of cautious and send out STDs earlier (as soon as the Canadian Post strike is over).  I'm just nervous about sending things out too early and people forgetting, losing the STD, whatever.  I guess that's the risk with any wedding...

j_jaye

We sent STD's at the one year mark and we hand delivered our invites to most guests last weekend (sent FI's side of the family as they live across the country & overseas ones so they should have them by weeks end) with an RSVP date of 30th of July.
We have already had all but 2 RSVP's back from the ones we hand delivered (most peole just filled them out straight away and gave them back to us). Most people who are coming have already booked and those that haven't and wanted to come are most likely not going to now as most of the flights are in the $2K range now due to all the increases. When we booked in Jan we got flights with 6 nights accomm in Anaheim for $1400 so the prices have jumped crazy high since then!

kcoleybear

I have the same wedding date, as you. I sent my STDs out at the six month mark and plan on sending out invites by August 27th. My goal is for August 20th, but I am giving myself a week leeway. Very few of my guests have to fly, because 95% of them live in SoCal and will just drive. The two guests who will fly, have already booked flights. HTH

megkbush

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_invitersvp-timing?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:91Discussion:b2d30e66-edde-40d1-bc08-2f53f469da1ePost:6c5c124a-a1b1-4bc0-b57c-1e6a8573d28e">Re: Invite/RSVP timing</a>:
[QUOTE]I have the same wedding date, as you. I sent my STDs out at the six month mark and plan on sending out invites by August 27th. My goal is for August 20th, but I am giving myself a week leeway. Very few of my guests have to fly, because 95% of them live in SoCal and will just drive. The two guests who will fly, have already booked flights. HTH
Posted by kcoleybear@aol.com[/QUOTE]

After reading these, I think I'm going to aim to send them out around August 20th with a RSVP date of September 23rd. I sent STDs 8 months out. I think by the end of September, people will know if they're flying across the country or not (we're all east coasters!) 6 weeks later. Thanks everyone!